In the first episode, below, the developers at Crytek, a videogame company in Frankfurt, describe their efforts to bring the visual qualities of film to their games. Working on their latest, Crysis 3, they incorporate lens flares -- a visual phenomenon we only experience in movies and photos -- and bring movement to every detail of the world in the game. "The whole thing needs to feel very alive," one developer explains. "Stuff like grass, or something, we put a lot of effort into. I can't think of another game that has this level of detail in grass!" Each green blade and weed is animated separately, programmed to bend in the breeze.

The goal of this hyperrealism? Rasmus Hojengaard, the studio's director of creative development, says "it's modern magic. You trick people into believing a certain scenario is taking place, and you do it so convincingly that they immediately connect to it -- which I guess is escapism ... what reading, watching movies, or playing games, is about." We've come a long way from 8-bit, to be sure.

Cieplak-Mayr von Baldegg joined The Atlantic in 2011 to launch its video channel and, in 2013, create its in-house video production department. She leads the development and production of original documentaries, interviews, and other video content for The Atlantic. Previously, she worked as a producer at Al Gore’s Current TV and as a content strategist and documentary producer in San Francisco. She studied filmmaking and digital media at Harvard University.